Dugan walked away from Hunter Stadium with a 30-18 victory over Newcastle and a new ailment, his first game since withdrawing from State of Origin I. However, McGregor said Dugan remained optimistic about his chances of being rushed into the Blues lineup for the pride-saving dead rubber at ANZ Stadium on July 13.

“Good to see the big fella back,” McGregor said.

“He’s vital to our team and he’ll get a lot out of that. 

“There’s only one game before Origin gets picked, so I’m sure he’s going to want to really play well to put his name back in the picture.”

McGregor confirmed Dugan and fellow ex-Raiders teammate Joel Thompson have perforated ear drums, saying “it must be a Canberra thing”.

The Dragons have the chance to make it four wins in a row against struggling Manly at Brookvale Oval next Monday, before their second bye.

Dugan’s return comes as Kiama’s Brett Morris also showed NSW coach Laurie Daley what he’s been missing with a three-try effort in the thumping 40-18 win over Brisbane on Saturday night.

Morris has been a spectator this season after suffering a knee injury, but showed his trademark power and pace on the left wing, putting Josh Mansour and Blake Ferguson’s position under pressure for the Blues.

As Daley’s first choice for the series opener, Dugan could replace Dylan Walker at right centre.

Tyson Frizell backed up after his remarkable debut in a losing cause as NSW conceded the series in game two in Brisbane. Benji Marshall was the standout for the Dragons are they stayed on the edge of the top eight, beating the Knights with a dominant first-half performance.

The Dragons raced to a 22-6 lead at the break and the scoreline could have been an even bigger blowout but for missed opportunities and Gareth Widdop kicking three from seven goals.